Veteran Iditarod racer shares stories

Despite a lack of snow, teams of eager dogs and intrepid mushers begin "The Last Great Race on Earth" on Saturday.

Dr. Terry Adkins will watch the 42nd running of the Iditarod with a unique perspective from his Tracy home.

Besides being the veterinarian on the first race in 1973, Adkins and his sled dog teams ran the race 22 times. He knows the challenges of this iconic 1,000-mile race like few others.

Due to the unseasonably warm temperatures, this year's Iditarod race will start in Fairbanks instead of Anchorage.

"They'll have the ceremonial start in Anchorage," he said, then move the teams north for the official commencement of the race.

"I would love to be going over that route," Adkins said.

He's never run that particular section, but the beauty of it is it misses a number of the most treacherous sections of the race. "It's all river running until you reach the coast."

Last year they had the same issue with the warm weather, and there was no snow over sections including the Dalzell Gorge.

"People and equipment didn't fare well. It was a tough trail," he said. "I can see after last year that this year they run it out of Fairbanks."

In 1987, when coming through and area called the Burn, which resembles a narrow cowpath dotted with muskeg that creates a pinball effect for the teams, he broke every part of the sled except the plastic brush bow and a runner. And when he tried to use his brake pad, it twisted into the shape of an ineffective pretzel.

Adkins has seen plenty of challenging conditions, along with changes in the race since he was the sole veterinarian on that first run.

"A lot of it is for the

The teams also miss traversing the inaptly named "Happy River." Since it's at the beginning of the race, the dogs are anxious to go making the steep descent via switchbacks to the river below a harrowing, if not downright terrifying, prospect.

better," he said, particularly when it comes to the care and safety of the dogs.

Before the start of the Iditarod, every dog must go through an EKG and blood workout to make sure they're fit for the grueling race.

"In 1973, I had two hours to check 40 teams." he said. (And he still pulled a dog who wasn't fit to run.)

Now there are at least 40 veterinarians, along with vet techs and handlers available to assist the dogs.

Nutrition has also significantly improved since those first races. A common sight in earlier days was a moose quarter on the sled for the dogs to eat, now food is flown in to checkpoints to feed the dogs at particular intervals. Mushers pay attention to what their dogs eat just like any coach would with a top-notch athlete.

And the equipment is a far cry from what it used to be. Sleds are lighter. Booties and gear for the dogs are better, and clothing for the people are lighter and more efficient. Adkins relied on Army-issued Bunny boots in the early days, now high-tech footwear does a fine job of keeping his feet warm and dry at a fraction of the weight. Even the headlamps, which once needed huge batteries, run just as long with a couple of AA batteries.

"In the early days, the communication for the race was a ham radio," he noted. Now people thousands of miles away can follow the racers via GPS. "The internet gives you hourly updates."

Yet, the race also lost something with changes designed to make it safer and smoother. The biggest drawback is the loss of institutional knowledge of the veteran mushers to the rookies due to checkpoint changes and the shorter times in the race.

"In the early days it was two to three weeks," he said. "We used to all help each other. We were all in it together."

More than once, Adkins and the other mushers assisted each other through extraordinarily dangerous situations.

"Now when the Iditarod starts, it's a race from the start. People are trying to beat the eight days and change," Adkins said.

Since it's all about the time, the mushers are no longer camped together talking around the fire. What's lost is the experience of the older mushers.

"Joe (Redington Sr.) was probably one of the toughest individuals I ever met," Adkins said. Redington was the father of the Iditarod, and openly imparted knowledge to those who sought his guidance.

And Adkins said he learned a lot by traveling with veteran musher Herbie Nayukpuk who was the epitome of the durable spirit of Alaska. This is a man who spent his entire life in the Alaskan bush, who killed polar bears with a .22 rifle (which means creeping up uncomfortably close), and who didn't blink at the deadly conditions the environment often presented. By traveling with Nayukpuk, Adkins absorbed information that can never be found in a book.

Yet, overall, Adkins sees many of the changes as improvements to the care of the dogs, which is the priority of every musher.

As always, Adkins is looking forward to watching the race he loves since it's always an exciting race with never a clear cut favorite.

"Last year I went to bed at 3 a.m. thinking Jeff King had it won," Adkins said.

Instead, Dallas Seavey of Willow, Alaska, pushed across the finish line in the record-setting time of 8 days, 13 hours, 4 minutes and 19 seconds, with Aliy Zirkle following a mere 2 minutes behind him.

Although Adkins isn't running this year's Iditarod, with a kennel full of exceptional sled dogs, Adkins is an active member of the racing community. He's been the race marshal at the Pedigree International Stage Stop Race in Wyoming for several years, and even went to Russia to run teams at the North Hope Sled Dog Center, which aids a local orphanage.

Running sled dogs is a way of life, and whether you're waiting at the starting line or watching from a distance, Adkins knows the thrills, dangers and joys of working with some of the best — and most affectionate — athletes in the world.

One Montanan racing in the Iditarod

Seventy-eight mushers were registered to start the 2015 Iditarod, including Jessie Royer, 38, of Darby.

Royer raced in the Iditarod last year and took seventh place, also winning the "Fastest time from Safety to Nome" award.

Royer raced her first Iditarod in 2001 where she took 14th place and claimed the "Rookie of the Year" award.

Last year marked her fourth time finishing the race in the top 10.

Earlier this season, Royer took first place in Montana's Race to the Sky.

For more information on the Iditarod and for updated standings, visit iditarod.com.